William morgenstern



W. MORGENSTERM Breech Loading Fire Arm.

Patented June 23,. 1868.

gums ginning gaunt WILLIAM MORGENST'ERN, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, nssr'enon; To HERMAN FUNKE. I p 4 Lcttere Patent No. 79,291, dated June 23, ,1868.

, fitlgafirljetulmtcmn tr iirflgesr hzttns fitted ant mating pm at its same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY cononnm Be it known that I, WILLIAM Monermsrsnn, of Hermit-d city, Hartford county, State of' Oonnecticut,

have invented new and useful Improvementsi'n Breech-R ngling. Fire-Arms;" and I" do herebyfdeclare the following to be an exactdescription thereof, reference being had to 'the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon, making a part'of this specification-, in' which-'-- I Figure 1 represents a top view of thegun. l

Figure'iiis a longitudinal section of the same atthe line z x, fig. 1, showing in red-lines theswinging breech-piece thrown up 5 and p Figure 3 is a cross-section at y y, showing the breech-piece swung up (inthe position illustrated in red lines at fig. 2.) x r In the several figures the same letters of reference designate thesame part.

My invention relates to that class of breech-loading guns in which the breech-blockis hinged at its upper:

forward portion, so as to siving up and over, and open the rear end of the barrel for the insertion of the cartridge, which is exploded by a firing-pin;

My invention has for itsmain objects the production of a breech-'londingg'un, which shall be'much more simple in its construction than any heretofore made, while at the same time it shall be equally efficient and more durable and economic; and to theseends my invention-consists, p

First, 'in placing the hammer and look mechanism (except theztriggerlin the swinging breech-piece, so that the working parts of lthe'gunare all contained in (o rj at'tach'ed-toyandimovewith the swingingbreech-block, as

will be presently more fully explained I I v V Second, in making the hammer or cook and firing-pin all inone, and arranging it to slide longitudinally in the breech-block, provided with a suitable actuating-spring, all as will be hereinaft er'described.

Third, in having a housing formed on or attached to the frame in the rear of the breech blockfand the firing-pin or hammer so constructed'and arranged, relatively with said housing, that while it is free to slide longitudinally in it, andto lift outiof it when drawn back, it will securely lock the breech down tosaid housing, as will be presently more vfully described. I v

Fourth, in the employment, in connection with the extractor and swinging breech, of apeculiarly-constructed and arranged ejector or flipper, for-throwing out the empty cartridge-case, as will presently be explained.

To enable those skilledin the art to make and use myinventiom I will proceed. to describe the construe tion and operation of one of my improved breech-loading guns, referring to thefigures of the drawings here inbefore alluded to by letters of reference. 4 H

A represents the barrel, and B the frame of the. gun, which are arranged together, as illustrated, the latter being cut away for the accommodation .of theswinging bre ecl1-bloc'k.D,-which is hingedatlits forward end to the'frame by, means of the pivot m passingthrongh the ears or projecting lugs G O, -(as. clearly illustrated at figs.1and2.) v 1 K is the trigger, which is pivoted in the'frame in-the usual manner, and H is the; ejector, which throws out the empty shell after-it has been extracted or drawn out of-the 'charge-c'hamber'by means of the extractor J. The extractor J is formed -on the forward endot the vibrating or swinging breech-block D, in the well known manner, and the ejector orilipp er H is 'a sort of cam or eccentric, hung'on a pivot in-the frame B, and actuated by a spring, I, in a manner to be hereinafter described.

In the breech-block D are arranged. the hammer and firing-pin L, with it s actuating or' m'ain-spring Q, the acre or spring-catch M, and the. gas-plug S, as clearly seen at fig. 2.' l j i P I are the eock'andhalf-cock notches of the firing-pin. The frame of the gun extends up behind the rear end of breech D, as shown at E E, insuch manner, andi's'so cut away for the accommodation of theliftinghammer pin L, and so slotted under at G G, that'whi'le it serves as an abutment toth e rear end of breech D,

it also securely holds down the hammer-pin L, and consequently the breech-piece, when the latter is oil of the cock-notch, so that the gun cannot be fired without the breech being first securely locked in position, as will be presently explained.

O is the hand-piece or dog lifted and closed. The general operation, and the working of the detail features, maybe thus explained, so that any one skilled in the art of making and in the use of breech-loading guns, will fully understand my invention.

When the hammer and firing-pin is drawn back on to the cock-notch, ;as shown at figs. and 3, (and in red at fig. 2,) the breech-piece D may be swung open or up, and the cartridge inserted in the. usual manner, and then closed down again, when the gun will be ready to fire. By pulling on the trigger K, the spring-catch or sere M will be depressed, and relieved from the notch P, and the pin L will be forced forward by the spring. Q, and its forward pointed end made to explode the cartridge, the parts assuming the relative positions seen'at; fig. 2.; I V v I To reload the gun, the hammer or. firing-pin is'drawn back, by meansof the dog or hand-piece O, to cocknotch, and the breech sw'ung open. As it is carried up and over, the extractor)" takes hold of the flanch of tho by means of which the firing-pin is drawn back, and the breech conveniently empty cartridge and forces it backward out of the rear end of the barrel A, (orcharge-ehamberQ until it;

strikes and carries along with it the topportion .of flipper H, (turningthe latter on its, pivot, as illustrated in red at fig.'2.) The said flipper H then ejects or. throws out the empty shell, when the gun may be recharged and fired, as just explained. I p I It will be seenthat the moment the firing-pin has been released from the sere, and starts on its errand to effect the discharge, the projecting portions 1 2 of the hammer F enter into the slots, or cut-under portions G Got the housing, or'portion E E of the frame, and that the breech is thus securely. locked down, and since-the hammer cannot start unless the breech is down to its seat, (sb that said portions 1 2 can enter said slots (3' G,) itfol. lows that no explosion can be e'fiected unless the 'breechbe in its seat,- properly and securely locked there, whichis'a great desideratum,and which is secured in a simple and economic manner in my improved gun.

It will be understood that the flipper His pointed at the lower end, where it is pressed upon'by thc spring I, and ftha t'thetendency of said spring is to throwand retain it in either the position shown inbla'ck or that shown in red, and that as soon as the cartridge-flanch (moved along by the extractor J) has carried the said cam-piece H past the dead-centre, (or that position in which thespring would press the point dead toward ,the pivot or axis,) it will be'thrown to the other extreme position by the spring I, and in passing thus suddenly backward, its top notchedend will jerk the cartridge-case, and throw itclear of the gun,

Ihave shown the firing-pin as tapering at its forward end, where it passes -through the gas-check or plug S, and adapted to explodea central-fire cartridge, but it 'will be understood that the firing-pin may readily be modified at its forward end, so as to be adapted to either any -central-fire,- percussiomor flanch-fire or needlecartridge.

It will be seen that the whole construction of my ixn and economic, ,while his reliable, safe, and efiicient. v

The lock-mechanism, being arranged in the breech-block as shown and described, there is nocutting out proved gun is one which renders it exceedingly simple 1 of the frame or stock for it, and it is all enclosed and protected.

Having fully describedmy invention, so that those skilled in the art can mak eand use it,'-and wishing it to be understood that the details of construction maybe varied without departing from: the spirit of my inven. tion, and that a portion of thelcharacteristicfeatures of my invention may be used to great advantage without using all, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Batent, is

1. In cbmbination with a hinged breech-block, the firing-pin, main-spring, and sere, arranged within said block, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

2. Makingthe firing-pinand dog,or handle, all in one piece, substantially as described for the purpose set forth. V p

3. In combination with a swinging breech and firing-pin or hammer, theproj'ecting portion E, the whole arranged toaccomplish the locking down of the breech, substantially as described. v

4. The employment, in combination with an extractor, of an ejector, composed of a spring-cam or flipper,

such as herein described.

-In testimony whereof,-I have hereunto set my hand, this 19th day of December, 1867.

WILLIAM MORGENSTERN.

Witnesses:-

J. FRANKLIN Rnrcsnr, Emu. F. BROWN. 

